Parking Charge Notice from CAR FLOW - Please Please Help!! (Happy to Pay for Time / Advice!)

skint-sam

Hello Forum Members,
I'll cut to the chase.
I used my retired fathers small car to drive into Newport on Isle Of Wight. I had an appointment with a physio for my continued damaged ankle. 
I am on camera entering the car park - site "Little London Car Park, Sea Street, Newport, Isle Of Wight, PO30 5BW"
 I arrived at 9:33am and left at 11:14am
I knew my appointment would finish around 11am. Therefore, I knew I would be gone before 11:30am.
I walked up to the machine and it was not accepting money. I then went onto the website on the parking metre and made the payment to pay for 2 hours. It was £1.40 per hour. So I paid on my Natwest card - £2.80. This gave me a 2 hour countdown so I knew I had ample time.
I am absolutely shocked!
My Dad has a letter in the post from CAR FLOW (Members of British Parking Association) saying in big capital letters with a photograph of the car 'Amount Due: £100'. 

Now the letter quite rightly states I stayed for 1 Hours 41 Minutes. They are quite right. But it says I paid £0.00. 
The parking meter says 'Visit us @ rcpparking.com select : pay for parking' 
So I did this and paid £2.80 for 2 hours. I have the Natwest statement proof.
So I have sent them an appeal with the above details saying there must be a mistake.
They have replied saying " 
Dear Mr. XXXX
Thank you for getting in touch with Carflow.
This car park is private land and Carflow has been engaged by the landowner to ensure that motorists pay the correct parking tariff. When parking on private land it is the responsibility of the motorist to ensure they have adhered to the terms and conditions of the car park. A bank statement is not sufficient evidence of payment that you paid for this vehicle to park, the payment could have been for another car."
So, 

I am all about doing the right thing here and a man of morals. I'm not trying to swerve or dodge anything. They have sent a letter saying I parked in their car park for 1 hour 41 minutes, and I paid for 2 hours parking on my Natwest Bank card for £2.80.
I do not have a lot of money. I am a care worker. and my Dad also is very worried and concerned he / we are going to have to end up paying £100.00.

Please can someone who is knowledgeable let me know what I can do please? I do not have a parking app or website confirmation of payment. Just the £2.80 I sent them on the day. 
Thankyou for your time spent reading this. I am happy to pay as a goodwill gesture £5-10 to someone that can take the time out to help me and my Dad. Thank you. 
Sam and Father (Richard)

Coupon-mad

Hiya Sam, 

This is a typical story of a scam private parking ticket, which is what we deal with every day.  Do you have a record of the numberplate or location code paid for, or can you check that with the app or payment provider this went through?  Sounds like a typo in the numberplate or location code.

go-on-then

 ' The payment  " could "  have been for another car '  ??

Let them prove that. 

skint-sam

Coupon-mad said:

Hiya Sam, 

This is a typical story of a scam private parking ticket, which is what we deal with every day.  Do you have a record of the numberplate or location code paid for, or can you check that with the app or payment provider this went through?  Sounds like a typo in the numberplate or location code.

Hi Coupon Mad,

Firstly, I'd like to apologise. I realise not after trawling through the forum that I should have used the search function and also used the newbies thread. I got carried away and started a thread first. This means repeat threads covering the same issue so apologies on that. I know for next time!!

I also got carried away and appealed online as the driver. After reading the newbies thread - I realise I should have used the template and appealed as the keeper. Tbh, Coming on MSE was actually something I thought of after making the appeal and not having anyone to talk to.

Anyway - 

Good news and bad news! I have found the email for the payment I made!! Bad news - I can see the problem. I actually put the car registration in incorrectly as you guessed. 
As explained to you in the first post - I was driving my fathers car. I actually stupidly, put the registration in for my car!! 
I will search the forum for anyone else that has done this with RCPPARKING and see if I find anything to help me. 
If you have seen this case before, your insight and experience would be golden. Thanks.

skint-sam

So, This is my email confirmation. 

Stupidly, that is not the vehicle registration for the car I parked. I entered the wrong one by mistake. 
The obvious would be send them this and apologise for entering the details incorrectly. But something tells me, they are not going to bow down that easy!
Now I have learnt how you guys get upset - I am going to spend time reading the NEWBIES thread. I will then work out how to proceed. Thankyou

Coupon-mad

Well TBH the answer is to reply and tell them you have realised the problem and attach that screenshot and proof that both cars are registered to you and your Dad (at the same home address?).

Add that you have read the January 2020 BPA CoP and realise this is what is called a 'major keying error' for which you can see from section 17 that the charge must be reduced to £20 so how can you pay that, to resolve the problem:

https://www.britishparking.co.uk/write/Documents/AOS/AOS_Code_of_Practice_January_2020_v8(2).pdf

17 Keying Errors
B ) Major Keying Errors
Examples of a major keying error could include: • Motorist entered their spouse’s car registration • Motorist entered something completely unrelated to their registration • Motorist made multiple keying errors (beyond one character being entered incorrectly) • Motorist has only entered a small part of their VRM, for example the first three digits In these instances we would expect that such errors are dealt with appropriately at the first appeal stage, especially if it can be proven that the motorist has paid for the parking event or that the motorist attempted to enter their VRM or were a legitimate user of the car park (eg a hospital patient or a patron of a restaurant).

It is appreciated that in issuing a PCN in these instances, the operator will have incurred charges including but not limited to the DVLA fee and other processing costs therefore we believe that it is reasonable to seek to recover some of these costs by making a modest charge to the motorist of no more than £20 for a 14-day period from when the keying error was identified before reverting to the charge amount at the point of appeal.

skint-sam

Brilliant. £20 sounds fair enough for being a numpty! I will get mine and my Dad's proof of ownership of the VRN's in question.
I will send them along with what you have suggested above. I presume, the 14 day period is from when I bring it to light with RCPPARKING / CAR FLOW That I made a major keying error. I may swerve mentioning the £20.00 and see what they come back with first. I'll just say I typed the wrong VRN and prove that I won my car and my Dad owns his. 
We do have separate addresses though! Hopefully this isn't going to be too much of an issue.  

D_P_Dance

Wrong regustration number BOC claims are regarded by man judges as a trifle, not a real BOC claim at all., read  this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_minimis

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, so consider complaining to your MP, sometimes it can lead to cancellation.,

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, many of whom are former clampers. On 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, and hopefully this will become law shortly

Umkomaas

Wrong regustration number BOC claims are regarded by man judges as a trifle, not a real BOC claim at all., read  this

Hope the OP doesn't get a woman judge! 🙂